#FrameItFriday (week 40, season 2)
#FrameItFriday (week 40, season 2)
I thought I'd talk about a bird today. Yes me (she of poor bird id'ing). I'm not quite sure why, perhaps to change things up a bit?
Here's the deal about my whole wildlife shooting career....I love wildlife, I know a bit about creatures here and there but that's about it. Having said that, I'm trying to find out more about certain animals I see and shoot. No fear folks I will not be going all zoologist on you all here. I like to keep things light here on my page, you all know that.
So here's some things I found out about this particular bird (by the way, my sources are all google based searches so some info may be a tad sketchy)
This bird probably has no clue whatsoever that it was nominated to be Canada's National Bird. I don't think that all ever panned out and to be honest, I'd never seen one in my entire life until last year up at that park I love to talk about...yes Algonquin. I'd seen online that Algonquin was the furthest south they travel (at least in Ontario that is).
I think they move to the real north north once Spring shows up in the south. They must, because I watch that show "Life Below Zero" and they're always in the show and that is filmed up in Alaska! They're movie stars!
I saw this one last week when I was up in the park. It flew up to us like we were family and flirted with us all familiar and stuff. I googled it, I found out they love to beg and steal from humans. They're very bold and when they scavenge for food they hide the excess in a secret stash in tree hollows securing it with sticky saliva? Seriously? Bird Web told me that one. I guess it's like when we were kids and we'd stick our gum wad to our bedpost so we could chew it again the next day?
I also read they carry their food in their feet which is unusual for a songbird. Makes sense to me though, it's not easy to sing when you're flying home with your dinner in your mouth. They love meat as well as berries. They call them Omnivores, that's what I am. Wow, we have something in common.
They're almost the size of a Blue Jay, they don't mess around on their partner's, they pretty much mate for life. Their babies fly the coop within 20-24 days of hatching (not years like our kids) but they will hang around 4-6 weeks for training and then "move out".
So that's all I have to say about today's photo except his/her head looks a bit wonky shaped doesn't it? It's not it's "best side" but it only sits for a few seconds and takes off to another tree. It doesn't pose per se.
Oh for Pete's sake I almost forgot....it's called a Gray Jay, Whiskey Jack, Meat Bird, Camp Robber. I prefer calling it by it's Algonquian family of aboriginal languages name "Wiskedjak" which means "a mischievous, transforming spirit who liked to play tricks on people." Mischievous...right up my alley.
Got to go now, I'm off to find another bird, a bird of the Thanksgiving kind. We won't be photographing that, we will be devouring it and the Wiskedjak is NOT invited.
Peace, love and kumbaya Heather
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